milligan



(No Model.)

J. P. MILLIGAN.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHING APPARATUS.

No. 344,192. Pat ented June 22, 1-886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. MILLIGAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-WEIGHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,192, dated June 22, 1886.

Application filed December-23, 1885. Serial No. 186,549.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MILLIGAN, ofthe city ofSt. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Weighing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a side elevation of the machine with the weighing-receptacle elevated. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the weighing-recep tacle depressed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation with the weighing-receptacle elevated, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section at 4 4, Fig. 3.

My invention relates to an apparatus for weighing grain with weighingreceptacle in duplicate compartments, and automatic devices for opening and closing its traps and simultaneously reversing the delivery of its chute from one compartment to the other; and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully deseribed,and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters designate like parts in the several fig ures, A represents the graduated beam of the scales provided with the suspended weights B and slide-weight G, as usual, and having an extension, D, provided with the knife-edges E, which pass through the upper perforations, F, of the dependent arms, F, that support the weighing-receptacle G. The weighing-receptacle is made in duplicate compartments G and G", and has gudgeons H secured to its middle girt-band, I, that pass through perforations F in the lower ends of the pendent arms by which it is swung. The beam is supported on standards J, which rise vertically from their forked bases J, and connect to and operate in the perforations K of said standard on knife-edges L, and is confined lat erally by a vertical slotted guideway, M. A set-screw, G, fastens the slide-weight O.

The weighing-receptacle is firmly bound by girt-bands I, 1, and 1 Pins 1, projecting from the last-mentioned band, carry antifriction rollers I, which work in slotted ways J in forks of the standard, and, while they allow the necessary vertical rise and fall, prevent lateral movement of the weighing-reccptacle.

(No model.)

N and N represent a double trap-valve that works on a rock-shaft, O,and alternately opens and closes the ports P P of the two compartments of the weighingreceptacle. An oscillating rod, Q, rises vertically from the rockshaft to catch pins B R, each provided with anti-friction rollers R R, which lock the oscillating bar in each of its alternate positions, with alternating changes-of open and closed ports to the compartments of the weighingreceptacle, said trap being automatically operated in a manner hereinafter described. The oscillating rod has a thread cut around its upper portion, on which is adjusted a weight, Q, whose etTect upon the twin valves varies according to its position upon said rod. A circumlinear or partially curved rod, S, is pivoted to one of the trapvalves at S at the bottom of the weighing-receptacle, and to the chute at S above the said weighing-receptacle.

T represents the alternating chute that works on a rock-shaft, T, receiving the grain from the supplyspout U above it.

The operation of my automatic weighingmachine is as follows: It will be seen that the rocking chutehassimultaneous action with the trap-valve, to which it has pivotal connection through the rod S, so that the compartment into which it discharges for the time being is the one whose trap-valve is closed. I show the machine adjusted to weigh three thousand pounds, (which is equvialent to fifty bushels of wheat;) but I do not confine myself to any particular weight, for it is evident that it can be set to weigh smaller or heavier amounts without departing from the essential features of my invention. Having adjusted the weight or weightsto the amount desired for each tally, the slide in the supply-spout is withdrawn and the grain falling into the chute is discharged into the compartn'ient of the weighing-receptacle whose trap-valve is closed. \Vhen sufficient grain is received to tip the beam, it is evident the weighirig-receptacle must drop sufiiciently to allow the oscillating or trigger rod Q to pass down out of contact with the catch-pin B, when the weight of the grain immediately forces the trap-valve open, and by the operation of the rod S the discharge of the rocking chute is changed to the other compartment of the weighing-receptacle. As the connection of the twin trap-valves is rigid, as

load the other closes and retains the grain that is now discharging from the reversed chute into its compartment ofthe weighing-receptac1e. At the same time the oscillating trigger-rod Q, being assisted in its pendulum motion by the weight Q, has passed in line for engage-=- ment with the other catch-pin, R, and as the weight in the weighing-receptacle is decreased the balance-beam raises it and the rod engages the catch-pin, holding the trap-valve tight until the weighing-receptacle having again received the given weight, it again drops and the trap-valves again reverse their action. The weight Q is made adjustable upon the rod Q, for the reason that it is designed to counterbalance to some extent (before the rod Q is engaged by the pin R) the weight of the material in the weighing-receptacle, and as the machine is adapted for weighing loads widely diiferingin weight it is evident that the'power exerted by the weight upon the valves should be correspondingly varied; hence in measuring small loads the weight is moved nearer to the axis of motion than when weighing larger ones, and vice,versa. The pins I on the bottom band of the hopper work in slots J near the base of the standard and limit the rise and fall of the weighing-receptacle and prevent lateral movement. The adjustable weight Q on the oscillating rod assists its pendulum motion as it passes from engagement with one catch-pin to the line of engagement with the other; also, anti-friction rollers on the catchpins assist to release the hold of the rod on the one and its fr. sh engagement on the other. The set-screw in the slide-weight secures it from displactmet, which might otherwise vary the weight.

It will be seen that the machine is entirely automatic in its action, so that as-long as'grain continues to fall into the weighing receptacle it will continue to weigh. If it is desired to deliver to the one side instead of underneath,

a chute could readily be attached beneath the l trap-valves.

I have described my machine as used in weighing grain and set to a given weight; but I do not confine myself to that use only, for it is evident that it could as readily be used in weighing other articles,and also with larger or smaller weights, and the machine itself made of suitable capacity to the use to which it is applied.

Any suitable registering device may be used for keeping tally of the number of drafts.

I am aware that in automatic weighingu.- wwww um uwv LL16 uuuuu; vv tusuiug'l CUUPl/UAJICB and twin valves, substantially as herein described, a segment having two notches has been secured to the rockshaft to which the valves are fixed, one or the other ofsaid notches being engaged when the receptacle is in elevated position by a movable detent located directly over the center of oscillation of the said valves, said detent being held in engage- 'ment by means of a spring or by gravity, and

lifted therefrom by contact with the frame or a fixed projection therefrom as the weighingreceptacle descends.

I do not claim, broadly, means for locking the one or the other of the twin valves which is for the time being in operative position, and do not regard devices heretofore employed for this purpose as the equivalents of that herein shown and described.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an automatic weighing machine, the combination,with the standard, the beam, the weighing-receptacle suspended from the beam and divided into two compartments, the oscillating chute, and the oscillating twin valves, of the arm or trigger-rod projecting from the rockshaft of said valve, and the weight secured to said-trigger-rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the standard, the beam, and the weighing receptacle having a 'dividing'partition, of the oscillating'ehute journaled over said partition, the twin valves journaled beneath said partition, and the rod connecting said chute and valves upon opposite sides of their respective journals, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the standard, the beam, and the receptacle having two compartments, of the twin valves N N, the arm or trigger-rod Q, secured thereto, and the stops or studs R R, projecting from the standard and having the rollers R R, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4.111 an automatic weighing-machine, the

combinatiomwith the standard, the beam. the

weighing-receptacle suspended from the beam and divided into compartments, the oscillating chute, and the oscillating twin valves, of the arm or trigger-rod projecting from the rockshaft of said valve, and a weight adjustable on said rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN F. MILLIGAN. In presence of SAML. KNIGHT, BENJN. A. KNIGHT. 

